Abstract

The role of short-range and tensor correlations in nuclei can be investigated through a careful comparison with microscopic nuclear matter calculations. We focus on the momentum distribution, a one-body operator which is particularly sensitive to correlations. We identify a depletion of the population of hole states of around 15% in symmetric matter and a significant isospin dependence due to the tensor force. The increased role of short-range and tensor correlations for the minority species makes the case for further experimental scrutiny of nuclei with large neutron excess.